


if you're lonely, wake me

by soonies



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Customer Service & Tech Support, Fluff and Angst, IT Wonwoo, M/M, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, Tech Inept Soonyoung, University Student Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Wonwoo in Bicycle Shorts (read at ur own risk), well more strangers/friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 08:09:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19902544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soonies/pseuds/soonies
Summary: right from the start I knewyou'd set a fire in meand I'd rather be sad with youthan anywhere away from you-Soonyoung's an intern at an up-and-coming music agency about to debut a new boy group while trying to balance college midterms and still not understanding how to use Photoshop. Wonwoo is a tired, overworked college student with more than a couple jobs. Sometimes,  all you need is one call to take all of that stress away.





	if you're lonely, wake me

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry into the Suite1517 mini-bang!
> 
> My lovely partnered artist is [Ivana](https://twitter.com/jeonspetale)! That's the link to her twitter! (See her [art](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERPlHsNn4ww2gkLa6CPktpF7sndhyhjc/view?usp=sharing) at the very end of the work, IT'S BEAUTIFUL!)
> 
> Enjoy!

_In conclusion, Anne Boleyn was most likely framed for the charges that led to her ultimate demise. Several dates and details do not match in order to create a believable narrative when looked back upon. A woman who did not deserve to be put to death, Boleyn was but a pawn in a much larger scheme to remove her extended family from_

The screen went blank before lighting up blue with a painfully slow ‘spinning wheel of death’ in the center: _Automatic Updates... 33% Complete._

Soonyoung felt ready to cry. His nine page paper that he’d spent the last six hours writing was just gone. All because of the stupid updates he’d been pushing off for the last eight months. Granted, he maybe should have written it before now but he also has a dance final coming up that required a lot more time and preparation. And that was a major course. _European History: The Wives of Henry the VIII and their Ultimate Demise_ was just an elective meant to fill out his history pre-req.

Fuck, if he didn’t need that essay to pass the class though. He sat up in his bed before reaching for his pillow and screaming into it. Remembering he wasn’t alone in his tiny dorm room, he looked over at his roommate - a sophomore named Seokmin - to make sure his tiny fit of rage hadn’t woken the other boy. If the younger boy’s continued snores were anything to go by - it seemed Soonyoung was in the clear for now. He let out a sigh of relief before scooping up his study stuff into his backpack and booking it toward his floor’s common room.

Thankfully the shared space was empty - most other students already done with midterms and resting before the stress from the rest of the semester could really hit them. He settled into one of the study alcoves before pulling out his phone and checking the time: 10:15. The laptop’s updates looked like they were winding down… maybe if he could recover the file in time, he could pass it in before the midnight deadline.

He scrolled through his contacts before he found the one he was looking for. Ironically, the only contact under ‘I’:

IT - boy with The Voice™️ 😚

And yeah, so maybe he’s had to call for computer help before. It’s not his fault his computer is a demon and wants him to fail his classes. And sure, maybe the IT guy who picks up at night when Soonyoung usually calls has a voice that makes his knees weak... but who isn’t a little in love with their late night IT operator?

The phone rang twice before a soft click announced they were connected.

“Seoul Uni IT Desk. How can I help you?” And there he was, the boy who solved all of Soonyoung’s problems (at least in a technical aspect). His own personal Geek Squad.

“Well, hello to you too, Wonwoo. It’s me, again, obviously,” Soonyoung started picking at the skin around his fingernails. Something about hearing the boy’s voice always threw him off a little bit. It wasn’t like they actually knew each other; he hasn’t ever even seen the face behind the mysterious voice. Still, they had this stupid little banter that made his heart flutter. He still wasn’t sure how this complete stranger had him so gone but he was well past the point of accepting it.

“Ah, Soonie,” the operator’s voice sighed over the frazzled phone connection, “and what’s the problem this time? Your computer not running Stardew Valley quick enough?”

Soonyoung couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. He had asked for help on the fishing minigame one time and now the other just _loved_ to tease him about it. He stuck out his tongue making a little ‘blllllppp’.

“I’ve had to put off virtual farming until midterms are done. Actually, that’s what I’m calling about. You see, my computer sort of started installing updates in the middle of writing the conclusion to an essay and,” Soonyoung started scratching his neck, “the file seems to be gone.”

Wonwoo chuckled over the line, “And did you actually bother saving the essay this time?”

Yes, this sort of situation had happened to Soonyoung before. He’s a flawed man.

“Uhhhh…. I know you told me last time to save after every paragraph. And, usually, I promise, I always do that but, um, perhaps I was too invested in researching the beheading of Anne Boleyn? So, um, no. I didn’t,” He felt a little foolish, sitting in an empty common room with a massive blush on his face while talking to a stranger on the phone. He thanked whatever college-grading gods made his teacher extend their deadline through the weekend.

Wonwoo chuckled at the tech-inept boy that he’d gotten used to hearing from once or twice a week. Like clockwork, he thought.

“Well, you haven’t fiddled with any of the settings on your computer since last time, have you?”

Soonyoung knew the answer to this one: “Nope! I don’t even go into the settings unless I need to up the brightness for Netflix.” 

Wonwoo laughed from the little joke, just what Soonyoung had been aiming for. He loved making the other boy laugh. Maybe he didn’t know what he looked like but he had a deep chuckle that Soonyoung swore he could feel deep in his heart and his stomach. Maybe he was in love.

“Good, that means the auto-save I set up when you gave me remote access is still working. Go in your documents folder into the auto-save subfolder and there should be a couple versions of your essay from the past few hours. Just click the most recent one and it should be complete enough not to take up much extra time.”

Following the deep voice’s instructions, the tired dance major was able to access his essay to find that everything but the conclusion he’d just started were still there. And that was all just bullshitting anyway. He double checked the clock: 10:28. He could definitely fix this in time.

“Oh my god, Wonwoo, there it is! You are a lifesaver, _again!_ I do have to go now so I can pass it in before the deadline but wow, I love you! Thanks!”

“Just - try using Google Docs next time, Soon. It autosaves as you write. But, yeah, let me know next time you have a problem. And fill out my review survey this time! I need the up ratings for the quarter!”

Wonwoo sighed as the call ended, that boy was going to be the death of him.

***

After passing in his essay at 11:59 p.m., Soonyoung had about 6 hours of sleep and 3 cups of coffee in order to make it to his internship on time. He detested the way his keurig seemed to take ten minutes just to brew one cup but shrugged it off as long as it didn’t make it late for his bus.

The bus ride, uneventful unless you count the woman who tried to board without shoes on (Soonyoung didn’t; she tried that every morning), expectedly landed him into walking in the office fifteen minutes early as always. He sat down his messenger bag at his below-average sized desk and began his tasks for the morning.

He hummed along to his headphones as he strolled around the almost empty office: making copies of concept evaluation records, restocking paper supplies near the copier, and assembling marketing kits geared toward new trainees. He smiled at the front receptionist, Joshua, before going around to pick up morning coffee requests from the early crowd around the small office.

Diamond Entertainment Group was a small company that had been established a few years previous when their CEO had left his original company to pursue his own artistic direction. Originally just utilized to represent himself, he grew the company in order to now support over a dozen trainees gearing up to debut in two separate groups in the near future.

Dreaming of being an idol someday, Soonyoung had found himself drawn to the internship’s posting on his school’s business forum. For now he was just a marketing intern - doing simple tasks to help keep the day-to-day running smooth - but he also knew he was learning valuable information about the real-life experience of being a trainee in a company. Plus, they didn’t really seem to mind if he used one of the practice rooms in his spare time as long as he cleaned up after. It was a win-win for him.

“Hey, Seungkwan, can I get a venti caramel macchiato, a tall latte no foam, a tall flat white, and-”

“And a grande cold brew for you?” The local Starbucks’ ever-smiling barista finished for him while sliding the cold drink toward him.

“Oh god, you know me so well,” Soonyoung pulled the drink up to his face, smiling and cooing at it like it was a treasure or a baby - always the ham. Seungkwan was quite used to this routine by now and just shook his head at the older boy.

“The rest will be out in a minute, do you need a straw?”

Soonyoung’s face lit up as he scrambled to reach into his pocket while balancing the drink and his wallet in one hand. After about 20 seconds of fumbling around, he produced a small container before opening it to pull out a folding reusable straw, punching it into the lid of the icy coffee.

“Saving the planet one plastic tree at a time, Kwannie,” he smirked, “How much do I owe you?”

The younger just laughed before giving out the total. Soonyoung pulled a company card from his wallet - _God only knows why they let him of all people hold onto one of these_ \- and paid for the order before collecting the cardboard carrier of drinks and making his way back into the office.

As he passed by reception to give Joshua his latte, he noticed the ginger boy was nowhere in sight. Instead, a tall boy - that Soonyoung had never seen before - with a head full of soft, brown hair was shifting back and forth on his heels in front of the desk. From the helmet hanging from his elbow and the athletic clothing, Soonyoung quickly recognized the package in his hands as something probably meant for the company. He’d heard Changgu, the old bike messenger, was moving to another part of the city but he didn’t realize he’d be replaced so soon. He rushed up to greet the boy, coffees still in hand.

“Hi,” he said softly from behind the handful of coffees, “Do you have something for Joshua? You can just leave it there,” he gestured with his shoulder to the large, glass-topped reception desk.

The boy, who was around Soonyoung’s age, smiled awkwardly and lifted up what looked to be a signing tablet. Soonyoung sighed because ‘duh, of course’ he’d have to sign for it. He set down the carrying tray on the desk, careful to avoid any spills, and quickly grabbed the tablet to sign with his company credentials.

Pressing accept, his signed name vanished from the screen as he handed the device back to the new messenger.

“Thanks,” Soonyoung waved the boy as he walked away, retrieving the coffees from the table.

“No problem,” the boy muttered in response. Soonyoung felt his spine tingle just a little bit - _why did that voice seem so familiar?_

***

Soonyoung really hoped that one day he’d be able to get through an assignment without having some sort of technological meltdown. Granted - he’d never claimed to be a tech genius but still this was almost embarrassing. It’s not like it’s his fault he’d gone to an arts high school and never actually had to make a powerpoint.

If he’s being completely honest, he probably could’ve fumbled through and figured out if he gave himself another half hour with it. But he found himself reaching out for his phone before he’d even completely acknowledged his technical defeat.

Like clockwork, it only took a few rings before the line clicked through and he heard a mockingly deep voice answer.

“Seoul Uni IT, this is Wonwoo.”

“Are they really making you give every caller your name now, Wonwoo? I’m gonna have some competition when it comes to talking about my favorite IT boy,” Soonyoung laughed at the other boy’s tepid greeting.

“I knew you were overdue for a call. What’s the problem this time, Soon?” It sounded vaguely like the boy was slurping something on the other end. Soonyoung looked toward the clock, it was after 10 which meant it was probably near the other boy’s break time.

“Oh, did I interrupt your dinner? I can call back later if you want-”

“No, No. It’s fine. I was on my way when I saw it was your number calling but I can eat and help at the same time. I know you of all people won’t tell on me for eating cup noodles on the phone.”

“All you eat is cup noodles. Do they not pay you enough for slaving away at that keyboard teaching people how to check their email?,” His question made Wonwoo laugh, “For all the shit you go through - you deserve a raise.”

“Maybe if _someone_ was actually giving me good reviews on my surveys, they would… You know, instead of joking about how I taught them League of Legends.”

Soonyoung barked out a laugh.

“To be fair, Wonu, you did teach me how to play and I am still very bad at it,” Soonyoung had only played the game for about ten minutes (on Wonwoo’s recommendation when they’d first starting interacting) when he’d called the other boy to explain why he was supposed to right click to move and how he kept accidentally setting off the character’s abilities. He’d really only wanted to play so he could use the K/DA skins anyway - but that’s another story.

“You’re bad because you don’t play! I swear, if you gave it a chance, you’d be just fine,” there was some shuffling over the line as Wonwoo was presumably discarding the empty noodles container, “Now, what were you really calling about this time? And don’t say just to talk, my boss got mad at me last time.”

“Ok, well about how stupid would I seem if I told you I'm having issues with powerpoint?" Soonyoung asked, voice quiet on Wonwoo's end of the line.

"You're not stupid, Soon. Please don't call yourself that. You're just - technically challenged. Which is fine. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. And you got me. So, what do you need help with?"

"Well, I have to create a multi-slide project and I, well, I accidentally put these crazy transitions all over the whole thing. It's like dissolve-flip-star-boxes-turn page-dissolve again-heart-cube and I have absolutely no idea how to get rid of them. I try to click through it but it just triggers the next one. I can't even read the words on the screen before it automatically changes too. I'm just a mess, Nonu."

Soonyoung sounded exasperated. He hadn't even realized he'd dropped the nickname until it came right out of his mouth with the rest of his dilemma. It wasn’t like he’d never used it before - but it usually didn’t come out until after a long, long night spent in the studio where he left worn out and then tried to finish his homework. And naturally, because it seemed like he couldn’t get through an assignment without Wonwoo’s help, he’d call looking for answers and let the nickname slide out in his dazed-state. This time, he hoped Wonwoo hadn't realized he'd said it. But, who was he kidding, there was no way the other boy didn't notice. He was officially toast.

"Okay, Soon _ie_ ," Wonwoo stressed the extra softness of the pet name so yeah, he noticed. "Let's take this one step at a time. Are you on google slides like I asked you to use?"

***

"Hey Chan."

Soonyoung greeted the trainee as he got back to the Shining Diamond building after an afternoon class.

"Hey Soon. Do you think you'll have a chance to help me with that axel spin from the Rush choreo tonight? I still can't seem to get the timing down and Jonghyun's off for the next couple of days," the younger boy scratched the back of his neck before giving a big cheesy smile to persuade the intern-turned-dance-aide. He’d taken to Soonyoung over the last few months since he’d joined the company. Coming from a big company with lots of trainees who didn’t really get to interact with general staff, Chan had jumped into the chance to get to be so personal with everyone at Diamond. When he’d found out Soonyoung liked to dance too, he’d said ‘it was like fate for them to become friends.’ Soonyoung would be hard-pressed to disagree with how well their dance styles and personalities complimented each other.

"Yeah, I should be free after this evening's prep meeting so I can meet you in studio B and we can go over it then. I have to practice the NEVAEH bridge choreo anyway. I’m missing _something_ still."

Chan grinned and nodded before running off to meet up with the rest of his future group mates. He was going to be leading Diamond’s new boy group, In4rno, who were scheduled for debut in a few weeks - plenty of time for them to scoop up some press before Rookie Awards are decided. Soonyoung had spent almost every minute at the office for the last week preparing for their upcoming video shoot. He'd never realized how much logistics played into the music industry. And how many permits went into one three minute. 13, if anyone was counting - and that's just for locations.

When he got to his desk, he saw a small package sitting on the shiny glass top. Given that the shipping label was addressed to "Hoshi" he bet it had to be from one of his family members. Not many people still called him by that name but he was also pretty sure his parents would never stop. Honestly, it was their fault for trying to make his baby-self learn Japanese by nursery rhymes - Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star had always been his favorite.

As he ripped the brown paper off and opened the tiny box, he noticed a small letter and a tupperware container full of his mother's cookies inside. He felt a smile spread across his face. Yeah, they were always slightly burnt and there was never enough butter, but he wouldn't have it any other way. To him they taste like home: One of his favorite memories would always be the way his mother had almost set the house on fire trying to speed bake when he was in primary school. She was trying to save him after he’d _accidentally_ promised to bring 200 cookies for the bake sale… the day before. He’d ended up helping with a batch and forgot to tell her he’d turned up the temperature on the oven before she put them in. Maybe it was technically his fault, looking back.

He read the letter, they were back from their trip to Jeju and had some photos they'd text him later. They had just wanted to make sure he was eating. Since he was so busy.

He wrote them a quick thank you note on his company letterhead (a subtle move that his mother would use to brag at her next sewing club meeting) and scheduled a pickup from the company's courier service. He mentally noted to head down to the front desk at 7:30 to give the letter to the messenger.

He tucked the letter in his bag and made his way to the big meeting room to go through his slideshow on what was already finished for In4rno's shoot. He'd probably be a lot prouder of it if it hadn't been just inputting information and pictures the music videos supervisor had sent him.

By the time they're done going over what needs to be resolved before next week's final pre-video check-in, Soonyoung was itching to move his body. After anticipating practicing with Chan all day, he was ready to just get out of his too-tight blazer and into some sweats and _move_. He thanked god that no one stopped him on his way out and he could basically book it to the studio - beating Chan there by a few seconds at best.

There’s something about dancing that just lets everything else melt away for Soonyoung. It’s like he can forget every single little thing that’s stressing him out. He’s untouchable. He can just play some song through the studio speakers and let the music sink in his bones like he’s soaked through with melody. It’s almost like he’s not even in control of his own body anyway, he has to move. He knows deep inside exactly how to flow from one move to the next without losing the momentum. How to let the beat guide his arms and legs. God, all he ever wanted to do was this. Dance. It was like chasing some natural high. Nothing else made him feel like this. He wanted to dance for the rest of his life, no matter where it takes him.

He's a few last axel spin attempts away from getting Chan's timing perfect when his phone goes off. Soonyoung jolts slightly when he sees an email he doesn't recognize before the phone stops vibrating and a few instant messages pop up:

_I'm here for the pick up._

_From Pleiades Pick Ups._

followed by:

_Where are you?_

Shit. Soonyoung raced to grab the letter and make it down to the front desk before the messenger had to wait any longer, calling out a quick _I'll be back!_ to Chan. By the time he made it down the stairs, he was heaving in and out from the surprise sprints.

"Hi, here you go. Sorry, I was dancing? teaching? helping? Helping a trainee," He settled on what was probably the vaguest excuse ever as he answered while still trying to catch his breath. God, he was such a sweaty mess right now. He prayed the messenger just took the letter and left, he was already embarrassed enough. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked back at the other boy who was staring intently at the front of the letter.

"Hoshi?" The bike messenger just read his name off the sheet, a puzzled expression taking over his otherwise calm face.

"Yeah, my, my parents. They still call me that. It's - It's a nickname." As if he wasn’t already red from working out, a blush crossed Soonyoung’s face. Why had he addresses the letter as Hoshi when he could have just put his name. His parents won’t care if-

"Cute." The tall, lanky boy winked and headed for the doors. The messenger was gone before he could even process the word.

Soonyoung just stood there. _Cute?_

***

He didn't even really have a problem this time. Like, 100% wasn't even actively using his computer for anything. He was watching Naruto for chrissakes. If anything, the only problem he had was just that: he was too absorbed in the latest arc to actually want to go to sleep.

So, Soonyoung did what he had to in order to stay up. And if that included calling his favorite late night IT boy, who could blame him?

"Why are you up so late?"

"Oh, not even a 'thanks for calling' Nonu? Just right into calling me out for being up late. Well, that's a little hypocritical... don't you think?” Soonyoung had given up on trying not to use the nickname since it started slipping half the time anyway. Wonwoo had gone along with it, so he chalked it up as a win in his book.

Wonwoo let out a loud chuckle, "Soon, it's literally my job to be up and taking these calls. You know that, dumbass."

"Okay, true. You're right. To be honest, when do you even sleep? Don't you have normal classes like the rest of us? I bet you haven't even gotten a call in the past 2 hours," Soonyoung clicked through so Netflix would play the next episode. He only had a few more episodes until he could pause without desperately feeling unfinished.

"Night classes, then work, then I sleep from 8 am to 4 pm. C'mon Soon, I've explained this to you before."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't make me actively cringe to think about your weird ass schedule. Why do you even take this shift?"

"Pays better. College is expensive. You know how it is," Wonwoo yawned as he typed away at something on his end. They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Wonwoo coughed lightly, "Is there something you needed help with? Forgot how to format excel again? We're making our way through the Office suite so I wouldn't really be surprised."

Soonyoung gasped in fake shock, "I’ll have you know, I'm actually good at excel. It's just math and that's something I've got down pat. So, no thank you for the excel help."

Wonwoo started laughing again before Soonyoung could tell him to keep his judgmental remarks to himself.

"Ok, so no Office issues. But honestly, what's going on?"

Soonyoung hadn't thought of anything to even pretend to ask Wonwoo about. His eyes jumped wide as he quickly tried to pause Netflix and make up a problem.

"Uhhhhhh, my friend... Sakura. She, um, needs help with photoshop."

"Your friend? Sakura? At 3 am?"

"Yeah, she wants to know what she'd look like with pink hair."

"Soon, you know I could hear Naruto playing on your computer for the last ten minutes right?"

".... yeah."

"I know who Sakura is."

".... yeah."

"So why'd you really call?"

"I - well, I... I... missed you?"

Wonwoo went quiet. For a minute, Soonyoung was convinced the other boy had hung up the phone. He'd finally said _something_ about this weird situation they were in, this weird - dare he say it - relationship. Something he couldn't take back. He felt like tearing out his hair, waiting for Wonwoo to say anything back. It was late enough that Wonwoo’s boss wasn’t going to get mad at him for the long, useless call so he had no choice but to acknowledge what Soonyoung said. A few more minutes passed by before he heard a shaky breath in the background of the receiver. 

"I missed you too."

***

Soonyoung was pretty sure his attempts at calling Wonwoo were getting desperate. He was at _work_. This technically didn’t even fall under Seoul Uni IT territory. No, wait, it definitely didn’t.

So, why did he find himself reaching for his phone to call for a certain deep-voiced operator’s help at the drop of a hat? It wasn’t even that big of an issue - he just needed to know how to move the widgets on HootSuite.

He felt his stomach flit at the idea of asking Wonwoo for help again. It was something he could ask his desk neighbor, Jihoon, to help with. He could ask anybody. But he didn’t want just anybody. He hadn’t even noticed how dependent he’d gotten on the other boy. It was borderline pathetic.

He sighed, resting his face on the desk in front of him. It was like each day’s worth levied on if Soonyoung had gotten to hear his voice or not. It was like Wonwoo’s voice could suddenly bring him out of any slump; it could reach down, grab his hand, and set him back on his feet to face the rest of the week. It dusted off his shoulders and pulled him into an intensely familiar embrace. And this was just his voice - imagine if he could see him. If he could actually touch him, hold him, smile at him - share those little things in person that would sink him more and more in love with this boy he didn’t even know. But, God, he wanted to know him. He wanted to know everything: where he likes to get takeout, what movie makes him feel better when he’s down, what side of the bed he sleeps on. He just wanted him and every little thing that came with him. All his quirks.

Just as he was about to grab his cellphone and take the plunge, the ancient deskphone went off in front of him. Soonyoung recognized the extension as Joshua’s and grabbed the phone without hesitation. It was probably something to do with In4rno’s debut next week.

“Hey, It’s Soon,” he held the phone against one ear, half his face still squished onto the flat, cool of the glass desk.

“Hey, your department has a package up front. Do you want me to sign for it?” Joshua’s voice was chipper. No doubt the boy had already finished his coffee for the morning.

“Nah, I’ll come down. I think it’s the mock CDs from the printer. Be there in a second.” Soonyoung pushed himself out of his only-slightly-comfortable chair, wiping away imaginary wrinkles from his blazer and before heading for the stairs down to the lobby.

Leaning against the desk with a helmet in his elbow, he saw the same boy as before: tall and lanky with warm, brown hair now parted down the side. Taking a closer look, Soonyoung noticed the taller boy’s strong jawline and serious nose - upon which were glasses that seemed to frame his face. He smiled to himself at how those details seemed to disappear and reappear as the boy talked animatedly about something with Joshua, nose scrunching as he grinned. 

“Hey, I think there’s a package for m-?” Soonyoung had never really taken the time to look at the boy’s eyes before. Deep and dark, it was like they would only set their gaze on something with an absolute purpose. They looked at Soonyoung as if they could devour him at any moment, “me?”

The messenger gave a tiny smirk at the red haired boy in front of him, “Yeah, It’s addressed to the,” the tall boy craned his neck to look at the label on Joshua’s desk, “marketing intern? I’m assuming that’s you?”

Soonyoung thought looking and sounding that confident should be illegal. Especially with a face like that. It took him a minute to realize he needed to give the boy an actual answer.

“Uh, yeah. That’s me, marketing intern.” He aimed a thumb at his chest before realizing it was probably a lame move, slowing bring his hand down to grab the package.

“Well, here you go, beautiful. Have a good one, Hoshi,” the messenger winked at him just like before and made his way toward the door.

Soonyoung just about forgot how to breathe. Had he just called him beautiful? And winked? _AGAIN?_ It was like he was suddenly in a different dimension were things were backwards and words came out opposite. And his voice was just so familiar - but Soonyoung still, for the life of him, place it. The only thing that could pull him away from reliving the moment over and over on repeat in his head was Joshua straight up yelling at him in the building’s lobby.

“SOONYOUNG. God, one boy calls you pretty and now it’s like you can’t hear anybody else.”

“Shut up, Josh. I’m having a moment,” he sent a pointed look at the older boy.

“Ok, have your moment. But _how_ do you know him? And why did he call you Hoshi of all things? You won’t even let me call you that.” Joshua was now standing in front of his desk, leaning back slightly while looking Soonyoung up and down like some impressionistic painting.

“Um, I don’t know his name. He’s just delivered packages here a couple of times. But he seems so familiar. I just can’t put my finger on it.” Soonyoung answered, face still dazed over from the encounter.

“So you basically just met the guy but he’s calling you by a childhood nickname that you not-so-accidentally spilled hot coffee on me for using?” Joshua waved a hand in front of the younger boy’s eyes only for Soonyoung to swipe it away.

“You don’t look like _that_ , Josh. I’d let you call me anything if you had those eyes.”

“Ignoring the absolute cheese that just came out of your mouth - first of all, I’m offended given that I’ve once been compared to a Disney prince-”

“Your boyfriends don’t count.”

“- at least I have two, you don’t even have one - and second, I thought you were in love with that IT boy you’re always calling.”

“I told you that in confidence, Joshua Hong! And, yes, I have a big ass thing for Wonwoo. The messenger boy is just flirty, ok? It’s nothing more than that.”

“Sounds like a shitty love triangle in some drama starring you. Good luck with that, Soon.” Joshua went back to his seat and started sipping on something that seemed sneakily like a second coffee for the still early morning.

“Shit, reminds me - I needed to call Wonwoo! See you, Josh.” Soonyoung smiled at the other boy before pulling out his phone. He hit Wnwoo’s speed dial as he got on the elevator back to the marketing floor.

It was a few minutes before he actually got a hold of Wonwoo. He was on hold for a few minutes in the elevator before he realized he hadn’t actually hit his floor.

“Hey, so I called the IT office and they said you were off but I really wanted to not ask Dongho my dumb questions so I had them forward me to your cellphone… please don’t be mad…”

“I’m- not--- mad-- I’m--- just--- at my-- other-- job.” Wonwoo’s voice went in and out as he seemed to get drowned out by the movement and noise around him.

“Why are you huffing and puffing like that? Get winded walking up the stairs like the computer goblin you are?” The elevator dinged.

“Wait a second, I’m pulling off the road,” and a few seconds later, “Sorry, I was on my bike.”

“You bike? Are you - athletic? And, here you had me fooled into thinking you were some nerd that stayed home on Friday nights playing Dungeons and Dragons.” Soonyoung trailed off into a small fit of laughter, sitting back down at his desk and logging into the desktop computer.

“D&D meets on Wednesdays, thank you very much. Our DM works on Fridays. And I bike for work, not by choice.”

“Do you deliver takeout or something? Why do you have so many jobs, Wonu? You told me you sleep all day before class!” Soonyoung rolled his eyes as he opened a couple of programs from the desktop dock.

“Yeah, something like takeout. And I do have class... on weekdays; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I make deliveries. Gotta afford my rent somehow.”

“Oh, you don’t live on campus? I would’ve assumed since you’re always there all night. That sucks.” Soonyoung started scrolling down his facebook. Oh look, an invite to some on-campus showcase. Going. Maybe he could sign up and actually perform NEVAEH to more than just Chan.

“Yeah, it does. And I’m gonna lose this job if I spend anymore time on my phone. Plus, people are looking at me weird because I have headphones in… it looks like I’m talking to myself out here. So - what’s it this time Soon? Google Drive down? Computer accidentally downloaded a virus along with that new IU album?”

“Well,” Soonyoung paused. _Should he really be bothering Wonwoo with work issues?_

“Soon. Hey, I know I give you a lot of shit but don’t worry about it. You can ask me anything, anytime. What’s up?”

Soonyoung blushed. It’s not like Wonwoo could see anyway so who cares.

“Basically, I work at a music company - I’m an intern - and I have to set up some tweets on HootSuite and I just can’t figure out this app. Have you ever used it? Please, I need a savior. I could’ve asked my desk neighbor earlier but I didn’t want to seem useless and now he’s gone to lunch. So, please. Help.”

“I got you, Soon. Just listen to me carefully. Open the web browser and go to the main page…”

***

Usually when Soonyoung isn’t in class, he’s working. Or vice versa. He always had something going on. But he finally had a reason to actually wake up early today. It was finally In4rno’s debut date.

So here he was, 7 a.m. at the music store right off campus buying as many of their mini-albums as he could afford. Yeah, he already got a free copy for working on it - with his pick of photocards (of course he chose all of the ones that had Chan) - but he really wanted the boys to debut well. Maybe win a couple music shows. He’d probably send them to family anyway, if only just to say _Hey! Look, I_ made _this!_ He smiled as he got to the display and picked up as albums as his hands could hold.

As he made to turn toward the register, he caught a glimpse of a familiar brown haired boy. Delivery boy. The taller boy happened to look up and locked eyes with him. He smiled before setting down the IU album in his hands and heading to where Soonyoung was standing. 

“Nice to see you in something other than a blazer. Casual looks good on you,” the boy smirked at him, grabbing some of the albums toppling out of Soonyoung’s hands, “Isn’t this the group from your company?”

Soonyoung had that weird feeling again, like deja-vu - he knew the boy’s voice from somewhere. Usually when he did pickups at Diamond, he didn’t say more than a few words so he could let it slide. But as they made their way to the store’s front counter, he felt his jaw drop.

As the messenger boy set down Soonyoung’s albums, he finally saw the logo printed on the taller boy’s shirt: _Seoul Uni IT_. It was like all of the unanswered questions in Soonyoung’s head finally snapped into one giant realization. Delivery job, his ass. The boy standing in front of him - with a voice that seemed to eerily familiar was Wonwoo. The boy he’d been calling for months had been the boy winking at him every time he delivers a package. Man, duality. It was like he was both blessed and cursed at the same time. Like someone was playing some cruel game of Sims and he was caught in the pool because the ladder had disappeared on him. God, he just wished he could float for a few more minutes.

He realized that the messeng- no, Wonwoo - was still waiting for an answer. But he felt his throat close a little more at the thought of his worlds colliding. How does act now that he KNOWS Wonwoo is as funny, kind, beautiful, extraordinary in person? He can’t separate that cute guy who delivers packages with a flirty little comment from the boy he calls at 3 a.m. to help him win a point-and-click game. They were literally the same person and now he knew it for sure - he was deadass in love with this boy.

Soonyoung gave him some uncommitted mumble and fumbled for his wallet, dropping it on the counter and tossing some cash toward the cashier. “Keep the change,” he grabbed the bags of albums and ran for the door.

He was half way back to the door before he saw Wonwoo following him, yelling at him to slow down. Soonyoung sped up. He really, really wasn’t ready for this conversation yet. 

It wasn’t until he got to his dorm to tap in, that he realized he’d left his wallet at the store. Probably why Wonwoo was running after him like a madman. Soonyoung slowly turned around with a sheepish expression as the other boy finally caught up to him.

“Not sure if this counts as a delivery given that you made my unathletic ass run for it, but here you go,” Wonwoo dropped the wallet into Soonyoung’s hands, “Why did you run anyway? Got somewhere to be?”

Well, shit.

“I, uh, I have to go into the office now. So I have to,” Soonyoung looked down at his worn out jeans, sweater, and old graphic tee, “change my clothes.”

He muffled a quick _thanks_ as he tapped into the building and ran away from Wonwoo before the taller boy could say anything else. He didn’t let out his breath until the elevator doors shut behind him. God, he was in some deep shit.

Of course it made sense; Soonyoung would be the dumbass to fall in love with two people that end up being the exact same person. He sighed and leaned against the back of the elevator. How was he supposed to deal with all of this and head into the office to continue promoting the debut?

He hadn’t been lying to Wonwoo when he said he had to go in today, he just exaggerated a little. He didn’t have to go in just yet, just be there by 10 which was still a little over 2 hours away. So he had some time to freak out before he needed to actually catch his bus. He unlocked the entrance to his dorm and looked over at his now awake roommate.

Seokmin rose with the sun. It was like nature decided if that boy was up and smiling, the sun needed to be up too. He was checking some emails at his desk as Soonyoung dropped his shopping bag to the floor and face planted onto his bed.

“What now Soonyoung? Dining hall out of the weird, cubed fruit again?” Seokmin didn’t look up from his laptop. At least until he started to hear very real sobs coming from Soonyoung’s bed. The sophomore pushed his wheeled chair across the room, “Hey, Soon, what’s going on? You just went to the store. What happened?”

Soonyoung turned on the bed, curling up like little kids do, while using the sleeve of his sweater to rub harshly at his eyes, “I saw Wonwoo when I was at the store.”

“Your IT boy? How’d you know it was him?” Seokmin started caressing the older boy’s shoulder.

“He was wearing a Seoul Uni IT shirt - it was like a bus hit me. I finally realized where I knew his voice from and I fucking froze. I just- It has to be him, I’m so fucking stupid.”

“Wait, Soon, what do you mean ‘finally realized?’ Where else would you have heard his voice?”

Soonyoung froze again. “Um… maybe he… uh, I mean sort of… is that bike messenger guy that’s been… uh, flirting with me,” Soonyoung looked up at the younger boy. He looked like he was on the verge of tears again before burying his head back in his arms, mumbling out the rest of the story.

Seokmin scooted him over the bed, laying down next to the other boy and putting an arm around him, “Soon, c’mon. Look at me. This isn’t really a bad thing, is it?”

“I just - I don’t know how to tell him. I feel like I’ve been lying to him and I - I should have known. I have to say something now that I do. And that’s not going to end well. Those phone calls are going to stop because knowing each other for real was never part of the plan. We’ve been going on so well by keeping our lives separate from each other. We have our time on the phone and that’s it - and it’s not really even real, is it? As much as I pretend there’s something between us, is there really? If he can so easily flirt with me on the phone as Soonyoung as he can when he thinks I’m ‘Hoshi’. What if that’s just what he does with customers?” Soonyoung paused before letting out a heavy, shaking breath, “I’m just another face in the crowd. You see them and then they’re gone just like that. Maybe sometimes you think you see the same face again, but does it really matter? I’m just another forgettable person and now I have to tell him that. And it’ll all stop. Because now it’s real. It’s too real. Seok, I don’t know what the fuck to do.”

And neither did Seokmin. He just held him tighter and let the older boy sob into his arms. It wasn’t normal to see Soonyoung like this. As long as he’d known the redhead, he’d never really seen him cry. When they’d first started rooming together two years prior, Seokmin had been a mess when his mom had left - started crying almost as soon as she was out the door. But it was like Soonyoung held it all inside. Every internship rejection, every bad grade, every date turned down, every denial from companies he auditioned for. It was like he wouldn’t allow himself to be that vulnerable. He couldn’t let anyone know that he felt deeply and strongly. For someone that everyone thought could be read like a big, blinking sign, they’d be surprised to see how quickly the neon dims and the walls go up. He showed off what he wanted people to see, never any more. Seokmin had no idea what to do next.

He just held him and helped him email work and school that Soonyoung would need a few personal days.

***

It’d been almost two weeks since Soonyoung had called the IT line. And to be honest, it wasn’t nearly as hard as he’d thought it’d be. Everyone always talks about heartbreak and distance like it sucks the air out of your lungs while simultaneously punching you straight in the gut - you never even have the chance to catch your breath. But with In4rno’s debut and finals coming up, Soonyoung’s been busier than ever. He wouldn’t even have the time to call Wonwoo if he wanted too. Not that he didn’t want to - he wanted to press call every single goddamn minute. 

But, no, it wasn’t as hard as he’d thought it’d be. It was difficult in its own way.

He didn’t have time to let himself fall deeper into that pain and rot away in it. After his first few days off work and school, he picked himself off the floor, brushed off his damaged pride and went back to work. He wasn’t some drama lead that could put off work until they had some big, gut-wrenching romantic catharsis. He had an internship to finish. Dance classes. Another essay on Anne Boleyn. And maybe that’s why it was so much worse. Because he wasn’t able to wallow over this heartbreak, he only allowed himself short bursts of sadness after Seokmin fell asleep.

Melancholia came with the night. It got right into bed with him and pulled down the covers until they were face to face again. It held him close while he tried his best to fall asleep. His tears were its sweet lullaby, only able to fall unconscious after the song was complete. He covered his lips to keep the melody from filling the room and turned his pillows over in the morning to hide the stained reminder of his bedmate.

And yeah, maybe when he sat there like an adult and thought about it, he realized he should just _tell_ Wonwoo but fuck, that’s hard? How do you just pick up a phone and call someone and say ‘I love you. Also, I’m the guy you deliver packages too. I found out a week ago and I only know how to tell you now.’ You can’t. Well, Soonyoung can’t. He’d been wrapping his mind around it for days, and still, he couldn’t find a version of the story that makes sense as to why he didn’t say anything to Wonwoo the second he knew. He ran instead, he finally saw the person who he had felt the most comfortable with and he ran.

And, really, he didn’t know how to fix it. Well, he did. But god, he couldn’t make himself call Wonwoo no matter how terribly he wanted to hear his voice. He just went to work and avoided packages and then came home and avoided using the IT line. He went about his life as if Wonwoo wasn’t in it. As if he hadn’t placed half his happiness in a boy who didn’t really even know him. He just kept going.

***

By the time the semester was over, Soonyoung felt like the small hole Wonwoo’d left in his chest had expanded until his entire torso was just an empty space - cold and blank. He’d finished the history pre-req (he got a C but at least he passed) and In4rno were almost to a first win so, technically, everything was going well but it was like some vital part of him was missing.

He wasn’t himself anymore. At least, that’s what Seokmin kept saying. Soonyoung knew he was right - he could hide himself from anyone else but it was just too hard to keep on that mask in front of his roommate. He’d been spending more time in their tiny dorm in the last few weeks than he had in the entire two years they’d lived together. He wasn’t going out on the weekends, he wasn’t booking extra time in practice rooms - he was just holing himself up in his bed and watching the same three shows on Netflix over and over. (Stranger Things, One Day at a Time, and Meteor Garden - for anyone curious.) He was quickly becoming some type of hermit and his laundry was so piled up he was dreading the day he’d actually have to go do it all. So he just stayed in his dorm when he didn’t have to be at work, surviving on cup noodles and takeout.

In fact, Seokmin had to physically pull him from the bed to even be here today. He’d vaguely remembered checking yes on an invite to some on-campus showcase but apparently that was enough because now Mingyu - the president of Seokmin’s class - was counting on him to show up. Apparently, they’d needed an attendance minimum to secure the auditorium and Soonyoung _just_ pushed it over the threshold. So, here he was - hair tousled in someway that made Seokmin smile at him, black pants because they were still sort of clean, and a jean jacket covering the small ramen stain on his t-shirt.

It was bittersweet, he thought to himself. It was actually sort of nice to get out of the stuffy dorm room for a few hours. But, at the same time, maybe if he wasn’t being a piece of shit, he could have submitted a piece to the showcase. Maybe he could be dancing, maybe he could be happy. Yet, here he was, holding himself back for no reason. It was something he’d gotten good at over the last few years, but even more since he left Wonwoo in the music store. He did what he needed to survive, tried to find small joys but never anything more. Was he even living? He just hoped that maybe he’d luck out tonight and not run into anybody he knew. Not have to explain himself.

But, it’s not like Soonyoung had ever been lucky up until now. Always catching the short end of the stick, he couldn’t say it was surprising to see almost his entire circle of acquaintances waltzing through the aisles of seats. So he kept his head down and grabbed the first empty seat he could find.

He felt almost spited by god as Seokmin, Mingyu, and Mingyu’s friend Minghao piled into the seats on his right, fully engrossed in some conversation about this new boba place they wanted to check out later. As he turned to his left, he felt his face pale and his breath catch in his throat. Wonwoo.

_God, what kind of shitty luck was this?_

“Seok,” Soonyoung tried to nonchalantly grab the younger boy’s attention, “Switch seats with me.”

“Kwon Soonyoung, I have to basically drag your ass to this show and now you’re not happy with your seat?” Seokmin turned to Soonyoung, a laugh playing on his lips before dying out upon seeing the red head’s face. Soonyoung felt the boy to his left’s breath hitch.

He had nowhere to go now that they were caught in these tiny, theatre seats.

“Kwon Soonyoung?”

It’d been so long since he’d heard Wonwoo say his name. It was like a roller coaster dropping. Terrifying but that woosh in your belly gives you a rush that almost makes it all worth it. Almost. Right now, it was sending him into fight or flight - and he had nowhere to go.

“Can you maybe look at me? Soonie?”

It wasn’t like Wonwoo knew why Soonyoung didn’t want to look at him. At this point, he was only putting off the inevitable.

“Uh, hi Wonwoo,” Soonyoung just bit the bullet.

It was like everything was suddenly in slow motion. He turned to face the boy he’d been avoiding for weeks. He couldn’t say anything else, couldn’t do anything else but watch Wonwoo’s face as he understood. He just sat there and let the other boy come to know everything he’d been agonizing over for weeks. Soonyoung didn’t need words to explain, Wonwoo didn’t need to hear anything to understand.

And then the lights dimmed. Because they were at an event and since when had anything been convenient for them? Soonyoung sat forward, rigid as he watched the show’s emcee walk on stage. He felt Wonwoo lean over, a strange chill rolling down his spine as the Wonwoo’s lips got dangerously close to his ear.

“We’ll talk about this after… _Hoshi,_ ” Wonwoo’s deep voice whispered before the taller boy reclined back into his chair.

***

“Wait, you knew? Like the whole time, you knew?”

Soonyoung and Wonwoo were sitting in a shitty 24 hour diner a few blocks from the school. Wonwoo took a sip from his coffee as Soonyoung started picking at the rundown and ripped vinyl of the tiny, two-seater booth they were squished in. Seokmin, Mingyu, and Minghao were with Wonwoo’s friend Vernon a few booths down (under the guise of privacy but also very obviously facetiming Sengkwan with a play-by-play).

“Didn’t you?” Wonwoo looked at Soonyoung from behind the lip of his coffee cup.

Soonyoung stopped picking and instead started twirling his little, metal straw in his rapidly melting ice water. Maybe if he didn’t look Wonwoo in the eyes, the other boy would magically disappear and he could keep hiding in his room and finish the new season of Stranger Things. 

“Of course I didn’t know, Wonwoo. I took our anonymity very seriously. I can’t believe you FACEBOOKED me.” Soonyoung put his face in his hands but he couldn’t stop the soft blush from reaching his ears. “God, how long did you even know? Like the whole time you made deliveries?”

“Well, a little before that. I mean, that first delivery really was the first time I actually saw you in person. It’s why I just shoved the clipboard at you like an idiot - I didn’t know what to say. But, uh, I maybe searched for your Facebook after the second time you called?”

“The second time?! That was almost a year ago, Wonwoo! What even warranted that?” Soonyoung felt like he was being hit by a train. He wasn’t even sure how to process this, any of this. He thought about the hundreds if not thousands of times he’d stopped himself from searching Google for Wonwoo’s name. Or the school directory. Or Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Tumblr. Pinterest - it’s a good organization app, ok. 

“Well, you had accidentally mentioned Haikyuu and I, well, it’s a good anime. And, you had this cute, little laugh. I just-” Wonwoo took a large gulp of his coffee, almost scalding his throat but hell if he’d let Soonyoung know his tongue was now burnt to a crisp. 

Soonyoung didn’t even bother to hide his quickly reddening face this time. It was a futile matter given that he was face to face with the person who knew him best, who knew when he was blushing over the phone. How could he hide from Wonwoo? He just shook his head and thanked the waitress who had appeared at the table with their food. By food, Soonyoung meant sundaes because he wasn’t sure he could stomach a burger or anything else of the sort right now.

“Wonwoo,” the taller boy looked up from his coffee to Soonyoung. “Why didn’t you say anything then?”

The dark haired boy laughed to himself as he started to dig into the sundae’s inviting hot fudge topping. “I thought you knew.”

Soonyoung just about spit out the bite he’d just taken. “What?”

Wonwoo shrugged. “I just thought it was part of that little game we’d play. You know, pretending not to know each other outside of the calls.” He wiped some stray whipped cream from his lip and Soonyoung’s eyes follow the movement without meaning to. “I mean, I know _now_ that you apparently took the game very seriously. But, I just thought I’d said something to make you mad or something at the record store.”

“Oh my god, I’m such an idiot,” Soonyoung started laughing. Every single thing he’d been afraid of, every feeling he had thought was left unreciprocated, every worry that had added to his shoulders slumping down during the day - none of that mattered. It never mattered. Because he hadn’t made it up, he hadn’t imagined his relationship with Wonwoo. It was real and it was meaningful and it was for him alone. Wonwoo didn’t treat other customers like that, in fact he balked at Soonyoung when he had referred to himself as such because well, Wonwoo didn’t treat anyone like this. This was something he didn’t do for anyone _but_ Soonyoung.

Wonwoo pinched two fingers together, “Just a little bit, Soonie.”

“Shut up, Nonu.”

***

_“So, does this mean you can chauffeur me around on your bike when you’re not making deliveries?”_

_“Maybe.” (Obviously)_

__

**Author's Note:**

> HI!!!
> 
> So... writing for 1517 was a lot more stressful than I thought it was going to be so I had to put a couple other fics on the back burner. I should hopefully finish and post those soon!! But, hope you all love these idiots and their dumbshit behavior as much as I do.
> 
> Comments/Kudos are always appreciated :)
> 
> Talk to me!!  
> Twitter: @gemhosh


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